By Clementine Fletcher
The land of the free is coming to Brazil. Anheuser-Beusch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, is bringing Budweiser to the country with the world’s third largest beer market in hopes that it can turn Bud global. “The plan is to sell the American Dream in a bottle,” says Chris Burrgraeve, the chief marketing officer for AB InBev. In order to enforce the dream, the company has used tactics to introduce Budweiser by setting up promotions at concerts, hiring influential Brazilians to raise awareness of Bud and sponsoring the World Cup soccer finals taking place in Brazil in 2014. If Bud is successful in Brazil, it could help the company develop quicker in a new market. There are mixed feelings towards the outcome of Budweiser as a global brand. On one hand, Burrgraeve thinks it might be tough for beer to gain the same attention as other products since beer drinkers tend to be loyal to their local brews. On the other hand he thinks that Bud’s American roots could potentially be a reason it could become a big brand (points of difference), stating that, “Many brazilians have never been abroad, we’re bringing abroad to them.” (strategy)
I think that although it will take a great deal of money and effort, over time Budweiser could become a popular international beer. Many consumers are interested in “foreign” cultures and products. The company needs to develop a good team, with representatives from each country, each working on Bud brand recognition.
